194103-DesertMagazin.. - Desert Magazine of the Southwest

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strewing wreckage and destruction in its wake. "If we could only send some of that Canadian river out across this desert, what a farmers' paradise this Quay valley could become," Hurley mused. Today—after a quarter century of unceasing promotion of that idea, Arch Hurley gazes out the window of his theater at the land which, within a comparatively short time, will be watered by a network of irrigation ditches. For Hurley's 25-year campaign has brought victory. It has resulted in the construction by the war department of Conchas dam, at the confluence of the Conchas and Canadian rivers, at a cost of $16,160,000. The dam was completed in September 1939- Already it has stored enough water to form a lake that stretches 10 miles up each river, and by the time the irrigation canals are completed the lake will be 28 miles long. Immediately after completion of the dam the Bureau of Reclamation began construction of the Tucumcari Irrigation project, which, when completed, will have cost $8,655,000. From the headworks of the dam the earth-fill canal already stretches out across the wastelands, snaking its way between mountains for 38 miles to Tucumcari, where it will spread water over 45,000 acres of desert land. In recognition of his work in behalf of this project, it has been named the Arch Hurley Conservancy district. Hurley owns a considerable acreage of land in the area, but his holdings have all been put under contract with the Reclamation Bureau, 12 which means that in the near future they will be redistributed to incoming settlers. For this irrigation project, the only one in the history of this country to be subsidized by the federal government through an outright PWA grant of $2,500,000, is going to do more than merely irrigate the lands of farmers and ranchers in Quay county, New Mexico. It is also going to throw open to purchase at reasonable prices an enormous acreage, with the small farmers who will occupy it protected against land-sharks by the Bureau of Reclamation. There are 81,000 acres in the irrigation project, of which 45,000 are designated as irrigable land. It is estimated 25,000 acres of this will have to be sold by its present owners, in 160 and 320-acre tracts, since the holdings of individual owners are restricted in size. This land, it is provided, must be sold at approximately the federal appraisal value, and since excess prices will redound to the benefit of the buyer himself, there is not much danger of the "get-rich-quick" boys muscling in on the deal. When Arch Hurley came to Tucumcari in the early days of the town, he found it a rough-and-ready settlement, spawned in 1901 when the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific railroad established it as a construction camp. A huddle of shanties and warehouses, Tucumcari first came into existence under the highly descriptive name of "Six Shooter Siding." It was all of that, in the years before law and order brought about a reformation and a change of name to Tucumcari. Spillway of Conchas dam. Photo by U. S. Army Engineers. Hurley arrived in Tucumcari a poor boy, but by tugging mightily at his bootstraps, lifted himself to a position of respect and wealth in the community. He first opened an eating house for railroad workers; expanded it into a boarding house, and then opened a motion picture theater. It was 30 years ago that William B. Fieedland, a civil engineer of Logan, New Mexico, conceived the idea of irrigating the surrounding desert with the waters of Ute creek. In 1912 Freedland memorialized the state legislature with a lengthy opinion, but his plan was pigeonholed. However, it did serve to show Arch Hurley what might be done. Hurley turned to the Canadian river as the source of water, and set himself to doing something about it. "Preposterous! Ridiculous! Impractical!" These were the condemnations the proposal met from engineers. Experts pointed out that the Canadian river flows through a badlands region of mountains. It is an area as devoid of vegetation as it is of inhabitants. The water would have to travel through a canal 38 miles long. The proper grades could not be maintained. The rough country presented engineering problems it would be impossible to solve. The cost would be prohibitive, they insisted. But Arch Hurley took all this in his stride. He refused to be swayed from his conviction that the project was feasible. He recruited the moral and financial support of his community. He went to Washington. He buttonholed congress- The DESERT MAGAZINE
Landscape vieiv of the quartz crystal field at the base of the Superstition mountains. in the Shadow ok the S upetltitlonl Countless prospectors have combed the rugged Superstition mountains in Arizona in quest of the legendary "Lost Dutchman" gold mine. They never found the gold. But if they had been interested, they could have brought home some very nice quartz crystals. There is a great field of them near the base of the mountain—and here is John Hilton's story of a field trip into that region. HERE are many versions of the 'Lost Dutchman' mine legend," remarked Ed Matteson as we sat around his hospitable fireplace in Phoenix. We were discussing plans for a trip the following day into the region of the Superstition mountains, and it was only natural the conversation should turn to the fabulous lost gold mine said to be hidden somewhere in the Superstition range. There were four members in our party MARCH, 1941 By JOHN W. HILTON Photographs by Harlow Jones —three mineralogists and a photographer. Harlow Jones was looking forward to the opportunity of securing new prints for his fine collection of desert pictures. Our itinerary included old ghost towns, active mining camps, canyons where ancient Indians had inscribed their strange symbols, great forests of saguaro cacti— and the Superstition range itself. Ed Matteson was to be our guide. He had been over the area many times; nevertheless I believe he was looking forward to the outing with no less eagerness than we who were to explore it for the first time. The desert is that way. One never sees enough of any one place. The second and third trips are usually more interesting than the first. Max Felker was one of the party — and it was a sort of reunion for Max and me. Since our high school days we had trudged the desert hills together, mostly in Death Valley and the Mojave desert. Then I moved to Coachella valley and Max went into the diamond tool business in a backyard laboratory where he and I as youngsters had spent many happy days cutting rocks and assaying ores. This was our first field trip together for 12 years. Felker's diamond tool business has progressed to the stage when he has more leisure time for such trips as this. As we sat there by the fireplace in Matteson's home, it was evident Max was thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to get away from the pressure and worry of vital defense orders which are crowding his factory. For the moment the "Lost Dutchman" seemed more important than re-armament and the war in Europe. We talked of Jacob Walz, the German from whom the lost mine derived its name, and of the many strange angles to his story. One version that interested me especially was a story told to Ed Matteson by an old settler in Arizona. It is just as plausi- 15
Page 1 and 2: M A *G A Z N E MARCH 1941 25 CENTS
Page 3 and 4: DESERT FEB. 27-MAR. 1 District bask
Page 5 and 6: een located, also the spring he fou
Page 7 and 8: Bess and Bob Cline and their burros
Page 9 and 10: The Old West produced five pictures
Page 11 and 12: Hurley oj Tucumcari. Conchas dam an
Page 13: PROJECT / SANTA ROSA^^ \AlAMOeORDO
Page 17 and 18: Ed Matteson {right) and Max Felker
Page 19 and 20: Stately palms and a tumbling mounta
Page 21 and 22: pastime of bidding farewell to the
Page 23 and 24: Qaat Jfe*dei By HARRY DACQUET Garde
Page 25 and 26: 4—Mother Tortoise comes around to
Page 27 and 28: Completely surprised and greatly ou
Page 29 and 30: DESERT QUIZ This monthly puzzle pag
Page 31 and 32: Gold production in the United State
Page 33 and 34: Los Angeles, California Dear Sirs:
Page 35 and 36: mission has tried to be fair to bot
Page 37 and 38: Mud Jlo4AA&i in Nevada! Who can ide
Page 39 and 40: Calexico . . . Six days of festivit
Page 41 and 42: Each month the Desert Magazine offe
Page 43 and 44: AMONG THE ROCK HOnTERS Golden Empir
Page 45 and 46: way from frost-like covered surface
Page 47 and 48: SOME OF THE WEST'S GUNMEN WERE OVER

194103-DesertMagazin.. - Desert Magazine of the Southwest

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